Electric furnace



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G. G. CLARK. ELECTRIC FURNAGB.

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G. G. CLARK.

ELECTRIC FURNAGB. No. 602,815. Patented Apr. 19,1898.

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I am f, f rf/ THE Noam #mens co, pmouwo, wAswNGTnN u L UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE GREENLEAF CLARK, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO SYLVAIN BLUM, HILLIARY ELDRIDGE, AND DANIEL JOHNSON CLARK, OF SAME PLACE, AND SAM LAZARUS, OF SHERMAN, TEXAS.

ELECTRIC FU RNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,815, dated April 19, 1898.

Application filed llutly 3, 1897. Serial No. 621,880. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE GEEENLEAE CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston 5 and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Electric Furnace, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric furnaces; and it has for its object to provide a new and 1o useful furnace of this character especiallyY designed for use in the manufacture of calcium carbid, but which can also be advantageously employed for the reduction of metallic oxids generally.

x 5 The invention primarily contemplates an electric furnace having means especially adapting the same to facilitate the production of calcium carbid on a commercially economical basis.

zo With these and other objects in view,which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more 2 5 fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an electric furnace constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the 3o parts of the furnace relatively adjusted as the same are positioned during active operation of the furnace. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the stationary guideframe for guiding the plow-supporting rods 3 5 and the carbon-holder. Figfl is a det-ail sectional vieW on the line 4t 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5

isasimilar view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig.

6 is a similar view on the line G G of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a similar view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral l designates a circular fusing pot or pan made of iron or an equivalent metal and of a sufficient depth to accommo- 4 5 date therein the requisite quantity of the material to be fused, and said circular fusingpot 1 is open at its upper side and has fitted in the bottom thereof a carbon or equivalent lining-plate 2. The circular fusing-pot 1 has rigidly afiixed to its under side a pendent 5o bearing-bracket 3, essentially comprising a plurality of downwardly-convergent arms and a horizontal bearing-plate 4f, located at the junction of the said arms and provided with a central shaft-opening 5 and an annular 55 bearin g-groove 6, formed in its lower face and opposite to a similar groove 7, formed in the upper face of the horizontal bearing-plate S, supported at the upper ends of a plurality of upwardly-convergent arms or standards 9, 6o forming a stationary supporting-stand 10 for the fusing-pot, the lower ends of said arms or standards 9 being flanged at 11 and bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the floor or base on which the furnace is operated. A 65 circular series of bearing-balls 12 are interposed between the opposing bearing-plates a and 8 and travel in the opposing grooves 6 and 7 of such plates to provide a ball-bearing support for the fusing-pot to permit of the 7o free rotation thereof. The horizontal bearing plate or collar S of the supporting-stand 10 is also provided with a central shaft-opening 13, so as to receive for rotation therein the short vertical drive-shaft 14:, extending 75 through the shaft-opening 5 of the plate or collar 4: and bolted or otherwise rigidly fastened at its upper end, as at 15, centrally to the under side of the revolving circular fusing-pot 1. The lower end of the vertical 8o drive-shaft 14 is 'set in a bearing-collar 16, carried by a transverse bearing-brace 17, arranged within the supporting-stand 10, and also serving as a brace to connect the arms or standards 9 thereof. At a point below the 8 5 bearing-plate 8 of the supporting-stand the vertical drive-shaft 14 has fitted thereon a belt-pulley 1S, which receives the drivingbelt from any suitable source of power to provide for transmitting a positive rotary motion 9o to the fusing-pot during the operation of the furnace.

Arranged in a vertical position above the revolving fusing pot or pan l, in line with the vertical center of such pan, is a stationary 95 guide-frame 19, essentially comprising a pair of duplicate upper and lower guide-plates 2O and 21, respectively, and a vertical guidetube 22, connecting the opposite plates 2O and 2l intermediate of their ends and formed integrally therewith, so as to form a part of the complete guide-frame. The stationary guideframe 19 is supported in a fixed position above the fusing-pot by means of a pair of hangerrods 23, secured fast at their lower extremities in perforations formed in the opposite extremities of the guide-plates 2O and 2l and bolted or otherwise suitably secured at their upper ends, as at 2i, to a stationary supporting-beam 25 or to any other suitable iixed point of support. The central vertical guidetube 22 of the stationary guide-frame l0 has iitted therein an insulator sleeve or bushing 2G and serves as a vertical guide for the vertically-adj ustable carbon-holder 27. The vertically-adjustable carbon-holder 27 is tubular and has connected with its upper end one end of an ad j Listing-cable 28, passing over a guidepulley 29, supported at the under side of the stationary supporting-beam 25 and extending to any suitable point where it may be con veniently controlled for the purpose of raising and lowering the holder 27 and securing the same in any adjusted position. The vertically-adjustable carbon-holder 27 is preferably of a cylindrical tubular construction a'nd has connected to its upper end the positive terminal a of an electrical generator, and the lower end of the carbon-holder 27 forms a socket to telescopically receive therein the upper-carbon electrode 30, secured fast within theholder by means of set-screws 31, mounted in threaded openin gs in the sides of the holder and impinging against the carbon therein.

ln connection with the upper verticallyad justable carbon-holder and the revolving fusing-pot l there is employed a vertically-adjustable plow-plate 31a, which is of a width about equaling the depth ot the pot l, whereby said plate may be properly adjusted to any working position within the pot. The vertically-adjustable plow-plate 3l is bent into a circular form concentric with the carbon electrode and carbon-holder and has one oi its terminals tangentially disposed with relation to the main circular portion of the plate to form a tangential extension 32, which projects outward in a direction away from the carbon and toward the inner side of the fusing-pot when the plow-plate is lowered therein. The said plow-plate 3l having a main circular portion and a tangential extension may be generically described as spirally curved, which curvature of the plate secures the results to be hereinafter noted, and the said plow-plate is arranged between and fastened, by rivets 33 or otherwise, to the lower ends of a pair of parallel vertically-movable plow-supporting rods 34, sliding through vertically-alined guide-openings 35, formed in the upper and lower guide-plates 2O and 2l. The plow-supporting rods 34 have suitably connected with their upper ends, as at 3G, one end ot flexible ad justing-cables 37, passing over guide-pulleys 38, supported at the under side of the supporting-beam 25 and extending to any suitable point where they may be conveniently controlled for the purpose of raising and lowering the rods 34 and the plow-plate carried thereby.

At a point immediately above the top edge of the plowplate 3l the rods Si have fitted thereto collars 39, from which collars are extended radially a plu ralit-y of supporting-arms 4:0, the outer extremities of all of which arms are disposed in the saine circular plane to provide for the support of a protective hood 4l, having a pendent circular curtain portion 42, that is adapted to surround the exterior of the fusing-pot l to protect the eyes of the operator from the glare of the electric arc within the pot while the apparatus is in operation. The hood al may be made o1' any suitable material-such, for instance, as asbestos.

In operating the furnace for manufacturing calcium carbid the mixture for producing` the carbid is introduced into the vfusing-pot, after which the upper-carbon electrode 30 is lowered until its lower end touches the bottom of the pot. The plow-plate is next lowered till its lower edge comes wit-hin a short distance of the bottom oit the pot, care being exercised that the plow-plate shall never contact with the pot, as said plate maintains a stationary or iixed relation to the stationary pot, and after adjustment the plow-plate is secured in its iixed position by fastening the cables 3 in any suitable manner. rl`he negative terminal?) of the generator maybe conveniently connected with the metallic stand l0, supporting the fusing-pot, and after closing the electric circuit the carbon 30 is raised to establish the electric arc between the same and the bottom of the pot, the latter being rotated through the medium of the connections referred to. As the fusing-pot revolves about the plow-plate 3l the tangential extension 32 of such plate scoops up the mixture and draws the same inward under the electric are, and should the plow-plate feed the arc too rapidly the said plate must be raised, or vice versa7 and the said plate is continually raised and lowered during the operation until the desired amount of calcium carbid is produced, after which the electric circuit is opened and the carbon electrode and plow-plate raised above the fusing-pot. The calcium carbid or other product can then be removed from the pot by any suitable means, such as a crane and grappling-tongs. During the raising and lowering of the plow-plate the curtain Li2 will always clear the 'fusing-pot.

It is important to note, in connection with the operation of the furnace, that while the plow-plate serves as a detlector or guide to direct the material toward the center ot' the pot, still the pot, by reason of its rotation, may be properly said to carry or bring the material within the influence of the electric arc for melting the same, and I am not aware that it has been old prior to my invention in IOS IIO

an electric fusing-furnace to rotate a horizontal fusing-pot in conjunction with a vertically-adjustable electrode to provide for carryin g all of the material within the electric arc.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an electric furnace,a revoluble fusingpot having an electrical connection therewith, a carbon electrode supported above the pot, and means for automatically drawing or feeding the material inward toward the carbon electrode as the f usin g-pot revolves, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric furnace, a horizontally-arranged revoluble fusing-pot having a flat bottom and an electrical connection therewith, a non-rotatable carbon electrode supported for vertical adjustment within the pot, and a stationary feeder for supplying material to the electric arc, said feeder having a support entirely independent of the non-rotatable carbon and being arranged in such position relatively to the latter, whereby the pot during its rotation will carry the material bodily or in bulk from a zone without the arc directly within the inuence of the latter, substantially as described.

3. In an electric f urnace,a revoluble fusingpot having an electrical connection therewith, an electrode supported centrally above the pot, and a feeding device supported in a stationary position within the pot and constructed and arranged to draw the material inward toward the electrode as the pot revolves, substantially as set forth.

1I. In an electric furnace, a fusing-pot having an electrical connection therewith, a carbon electrode supported centrally above the pot, a feeding device supported within the pot, and means for maintaining a relative movement between the pot and the feeding device whereby the latter will automatically draw the material in an inward direction toward the electrode, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric furnace, a fusing-pot having an electrical connection therewith, a carbon electrode supported centrally above the pot, a spirally-curved plow-plate encircling the carbon electrode, and means for maintaining a relative circular movement between the pot and the plow-plate, whereby the latter will serve to draw the material inward toward the electrode, substantially as set forth.

G. In an electric furnace, a stationary supporting-stand, a revoluble circular fusingpot having a pendent bearing-bracket having a ball-bearing support on said stand, said pot also having an electrical connection therewith, a vertical drive-shaft journaled within the stationary supporting-stand and rigidly fastened at its upper end to the fusing-pot, a carbon electrode supported above the pot, and a stationary feeding device surrounding the electrode within the pot, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electric furnace, ahorizontal revoluble fusing-pot having an electrical connection therewith, a stationary guide-frame supported in a plane above the fusing-pot, a vertically-movable carbon -holder slidably mounted in said guide-frame and carrying a carbon electrode, and a vertically-movable support carrying at its lower end a s pirallycurved plow-plate adapted to encircle the carbon electrode when adjusted within the pot, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric furnace, a horizontal revo,- luble fusing-pot having an electrical connection therewith, a stationary guide-frame supported above the pot and having upper and lower guide-plates and a central vertical insulated guide-tube, a vertically-movable carbon-holder slidably working in said guidetube and carrying a carbon electrode, a pair of supporting-rods slidably mounted in the guide-plates of the guide-frame, and a plowplate secured to and between the lower ends of said supporting-rods and having a main circular portion and a tangential extension at one terminal, the main circular portion of the plate being concentric with the carbon electrode, and flexible adjusting connections with the upper ends of the carbon-holder and said supportingrods, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electric furnace, a horizontal revoluble fusing-pot having an electrical connection therewith, a carbon electrode supported above the pot, a vertically-movable support carrying at its lower end a plow-plate adapted to encircle the carbon electrode when adjusted within the pot, a plurality of horizontal supporting-arms extended radially from said vertically-movable support above the plane of the plow-plate, and a protective hood arranged on said supporting-arms and having a pendent circular curtain portion, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE GREENLEAF CLARK.

lVit-nesses:

H. RINKER, M. BURNS.

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